Typically, a card-edge connector is formed of a plurality of opposing gold-plated electrically conducting terminals. One end of each of the terminals is often fixedly attached to a casing of the connector and an opposite end of each of the contacts is bent or bowed and arranged within a slot of the casing such that a card edge may be received in the slot between the ends of opposed terminals. The bent or bowed terminals are generally configured in a spring-like fashion so as to provide a resilient force for engaging the terminals to the card edge. The card edge is typically beveled, but it is often very abrasive because of exposed glass fibers. Repeated insertion and withdrawal of the card edge into the connector can result in excessive wear of the gold-plated terminals due to wiping (rubbing) action of the card edge against the contacting surfaces of the terminals. Excessive wear of the gold-plated terminals can create debris which may prevent proper contact of the card edge and the terminal and may debilitate the spring action of the connector.
It is known in the art to provide zero insertion force (ZIF) connectors, in which the terminals are removed from the card edge path during card insertion to thereby prevent the wear of the gold-plated terminals. ZIF connectors, however, generally require a cam actuating mechanism for retracting the terminals away from the card edge path during insertion and/or for returning the terminals to an engaging position to engage the contacts with the card edge.